Cow tag?

[metaldetectingtaylor]

Not sure if this an old cow tag or not. It reads "74" and found in a farm field with activity dating back to 1800. Any insight would be great thanks.

 

[Kevo_DFX]

These are commonly referred to as tool check tags or miners tags. The idea being when you brought out a cart from a mine, you put a tag on a board so you would get paid for a load. Tool check in that when you took out a bucket of tools, you placed your tag on the board to keep track of who had the tools.

Like you, I also have suspicions that they were used on livestock as well. I hunt primarily 1850 - 1900 farmhouses and find them by pocketful. Although, yours DOES have a nice design around the edge.

 

[metaldetectingtaylor]

Thanks Kevo. Your thoughts make sense as well.

 

[TomPA]

Your item is quite a bit smaller than the "standard" miners tag and even much smaller than the "standard" sized cow tag. Tool tags varied in size and this could fall under that use, or military, or

 

[DigIron2]

that is a very interesting find!The numbers almost remind me of colonial regimental style numbers.But I really don't know.nice find

 

[metaldetectingtaylor]

Hmmmm now you got me thinking haha

 

[BosnMate]

Wouldn't be much good on a cow, you would have to catch her to be able to read the number, among other reasons that has me thinking it's not a cow tag -- mostly too small, even if attached to an ear it would be way to small.